Jacqueline Smith: Readers respond to Trump and the ‘enemy of the people’

US President Donald Trump smiles during a joint-press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Biarritz, south-west France on Aug. 26.

US President Donald Trump smiles during a joint-press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Biarritz, south-west France on Aug. 26.

Photo: LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP /Getty Images

Photo: LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP /Getty Images

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US President Donald Trump smiles during a joint-press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Biarritz, south-west France on Aug. 26.

US President Donald Trump smiles during a joint-press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Biarritz, south-west France on Aug. 26.

Photo: LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP /Getty Images

Jacqueline Smith: Readers respond to Trump and the ‘enemy of the people’

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Whether the press can be truly objective — particularly when it comes to covering President Donald J. Trump — is the crux of an interesting debate.

I maintain that journalistic objectivity in reporting news is a tenet of our profession. In response to my column on Aug. 23, “Trump is wrong to rail against a free press,” a good deal of readers emailed to say I am wrong and my comments are “laughable.” (Read on to hear from some of them.)

And, this is unusual, an equal number emailed to say, they agree with my position, such as Violet Madura of Milford who wrote: “Wish more people would understand what is happening today.”

Frankly, I was planning to write about a different topic today, but the debate is so stimulating and there is much to explore.

This issue is personal for many people and the perception of the media and the perception of Trump are closely intertwined.

“The press is the enemy of the people. Don’t give us that canard that opinion is separate from the news,” wrote Jeff Williamson, formerly of Milford. “The bias of the reporters and hatred of this President is obvious in every news article. That’s why people no longer get their news from the liberal media.”

The “enemy of the people” label is straight from an April tweet by Trump, which he has oft repeated. But that simply is not true. The press exists for the people, our responsibility is act on behalf of the people when we are reporting on government. And that can range from informing that the local Board of Education is considering changes to the school calendar to investigating charges of corruption in the awarding of contracts.

“Unfortunately, instead of speaking out against the bias in the press, you continue the charade,” Jeff wrote. “Good luck with that.”

Let’s delve into objectivity for a moment.

Can a human being be absolutely objective? By virtue of the circumstances of our upbringing and experiences we are going to have particular biases, but the key is to be aware of them and not let them get in the way of fair coverage. That is possible.

“Objectivity in today’s superheated political environment may be impossible, but impartiality should still be a reporter’s goal,” it states.

No fake news

“I believe in free press. I believe President Trump believes in a free press. What the silent majority does not want is fake news and all one-sided news,” John Apple of New Fairfield emailed.

“The problem is that most of the media that is accessed by the majority of people are strong haters of Trump. They are in fact the divisive element of our society at this time.”

Holly Smith of Westport wrote: “You hire ALL Trump hater editors. Is that NOT BIASED?”

For the record, I have never heard the question of whether we hate, or love, Trump come up as a condition of hiring or promoting.

“You really can write with a straight face that the media isn’t biased!!!! When do you EVER report both or all sides? I would laugh at your article if the subject matter wasn’t so important these days,” Holly wrote in another email. “You say opinions do Not influence reporters. Really? Just look at the headlines of supposedly ‘news’ articles. So many examples of bias. Your pick & placement of articles, & words taken out of context definitely slant the interpretation. Front page headlines matter, & words chosen to highlight the issues change meanings. Your Trump hatred is blared 24/7.”

John, of New Fairfield, explained what Trump supporters like about the president.

“We are in favor of the wall, we want to stop illegal immigration, we want a modern merit based immigration system, we want our President to fight for free trade with other countries. We agree he has to be tough with some of our allies who are not contributing enough for NATO. We agreed with moving our embassy in Israel and we also can not understand why Jewish people would not vote for Trump. We need to be tough with Iran and North Korea. We finally have a President who has reached out to North Korea. If all the countries help in the embargo of Iran, we can bring them to their senses.”

Jim Sheehan of Cheshire agreed that the president should not say that the press is the enemy of the people. “I also think his communication skills and rhetoric about many issues is downright scary and wrong. However, to not recognize the bias of the media and obvious dislike the news readers at MSNBC and CNN have for him is also scary. They, like reporters from pretty much all the liberal dominated newspapers and institutions, display no objectivity in coverage.

“To write that reporters’ opinions do not influence coverage ignores reality. Do you honestly believe that? If so I suggest you re-read N.Y. Times /Washington Post coverage and watch the day in and day out criticism of ALL things Trump by certain networks. Your comments are laughable.

“Be fair, when Trump is wrong and wrongly demonizes the press he should be called out. To not call out obvious press bias against Trump from many news outlets is also wrong.”

A Republican president gets the last word

Part of the divisiveness in our country can be attributed to the fact — yes, fact — that President Trump is an inveterate liar. For a long time the media was reluctant to use that word, but now the obvious must be stated.

Tom Witt of Middletown pointed out that President Andrew Jackson also disliked the press.

“When Jackson was President he became fed up with all the negative press he was receiving. So he had a friend of his named Francis Preston Blair start a newspaper called the Washington Globe. Its sole purpose was to print as many pro-Jackson articles as possible.”

The fight with the press is not a party issue, at least.

Chris Ball, a former neighbor in Meriden, emailed a gracious letter from President George H. W. Bush thanking his father, Lewis E. Ball Jr., the editor and publisher of the Farmington Valley Herald for more than 40 years.

“Nothing is more vital to good government and to the well-being of any community than that each and every citizen be well informed. We look to our newspapers to fulfill this responsibility and to give focus to our lives and to the world around us,” Bush wrote in a letter dated Oct. 18, 1991. “We would feel lost without our newspapers.”

Jacqueline Smith’s column appears Fridays in Hearst Connecticut Media’s daily newspapers. She is the editorial page editor of The News-Times in Danbury and The Norwalk Hour. Email her at jsmith@hearstmediact.com